I READ with some concern the general trend of the article on "Horror Highways".

While the article ackn-owledged that the council's highways department mean well it went on to highlight the concerns of drivers that are "fed up" as they are held up by the various efforts to improve road safety.

I would like to defend the department's record by quoting from records at hand.

For instance, the article referred to the "X-rated abomination" at St James roundabout.

What the article didn't mention is that for the three- year period prior to "switch on" of the lights (July, 2003) there were 11 recorded accidents; in the two years of operation there have been as few as three recorded injury accidents.

The article also referred to Clatterbridge roundabout and states that use of it "significantly decreases your lifespan".

Again, what article didn't mention is that in the three-year period prior to "switch on" of the lights (June, '98) there had been 103 recorded accidents; in the three-year period (Jan , 02 to Dec, 04) there have been as few as 21 recorded injury accidents.

I suspect the case is the same for all of the junctions and high-ways mentioned in the article.

It is the end result of very sensible traffic management that has eliminated a lot of misery - for motorists as well as pedestrians.

I also suspect that many of the motorists disgruntled at these often very brief traffic light hold ups and lane changes etc, are those that see themselves driving a BMW-Williams as it approaches the first corner of a Formula One Grand Prix race.

Cllr Harry Smith,

Chairman,

Environment &Trans-

portation Select Committee.